Great thread! I loved seeing everyone's names and their reasons for them. So many of them are on my list of favorites or at least on my long list. These are mine.

Layla- I met a charming, spunky girl when I was 13 who had the name of one of my father's favorite songs (the acoustic version!) and instantly fell in love with the name. I'm dismayed at the current trendiness of it, but now I know and love that it is actually a widely used, international choice that was used in America in the 19th century with the spelling of Leila, which I now prefer. But part of me will always hang on to this spelling as well.

Max- Such a sweet, genuine name. I can't imagine meeting a little boy named Max and him not being adorable, and also just a little bit devilish. This is currently the frontrunner when my bf and I have a son (I was glad to see it drop out of the top 100 this year!)

Arabella- Beautiful, classy, literary, and underused. What more do you want?

Sophia- I completely understand why it is so popular. A gorgeous sound with ancient connections, a meaning that is relatively rare among girls' names and intensely positive, with slightly sexy connotations in popular culture. (for awhile I thought if I had a daughter her name would be LaylaSophia, I've now dropped that idea.)

Oliver- Slightly quirky, with great literary and historical connections.

Genevieve- My current biggest name crush, with the nickname of Evie. It's just so swoon-worthy, and the patron saint and defender of Paris. A quite continental name, and strong choice for a girl.

Milo- The name of the protagonist from my favorite children's book, just seeing it fills me with joy and nostalgia. Unfortunately, it doesn't match with my bf's surname at all. I'll have to find a use for it on a pet or something.

Arthur- My father's middle name and grandfather's first name. I disliked it as a child, and now I love it. I appreciate it for its long, dignified history as well as its personal connection to myself.

Some of mine I would use, others I never would, mostly because they don't go with my (difficult) last name. Here's a mix names I've been loving lately.

Cordelia - Ever since I read Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, I have been stuck on a couple of his character names (see below). Cordelia is the name of the youngest sister of the Marchmain household. I like everything about it, and a bonus is that it has a Shakespearean heritage!Sebastian - Yes, the eccentric lead character of the above-mentioned novel also fired my love for this ancient martyr's name. Now he has to be my ultimate favorite boys' name. I understand he's getting rather popular, but I fully intend to name a son this some day - and to this date I've never met a real life Sebastian.Catherine - Am I allowed to use my own first name? I can't think of a first name I'd rather have. The classic, elegant feel of Catherine has been given a new stylish feel thanks to the Duchess of Cambridge.Madeleine - My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Paris, and the first place we went to was L'Eglise de Madeleine. Something about the name (with THIS spelling only) screams Paris to me. Truth be told, I loved Madeleine long before this, as the spelling with the extra "e" always seemed much more classic than its variants.Ambrose - This name is an example of a truly ancient gem of a boys' name that has largely been forgotten. I believe Ambrose is worthy of a comeback - I just hope it's not too big of a comeback!Vaughan - Vaughan was found when I researched my family tree. What a great alternative to Sean! Vaughan is sleek and handsome, and very unexpected but still masculine.Magnolia - I love this name but would probably never be brave enough to use it. Magnolia, nicknamed "Nolie", was the heroine in JeromeKern's immortal musical play Show Boat - and I'm a musicals fanatic. It also sounds sweet-smelling.Eliza - Okay, so admittedly, I would use full name Elizabeth because I just can't pass up a classic. But my Elizabeth would be known as Eliza. There's the quirky Eliza Doolittle connection, as well as the jazzy reference Liza. Love both.Fabian - How FAB is this name? Pronounced Fabe-ian, it has a papal pedigree. I like how well it fits in with more well-known brothers Julian and Adrian, but brings a more unusual twist.Cecilia - I couldn't not include Cecilia. She was the first name I fell in love with. I am now coming to like the variant Cecily equally.Nellie - Wuthering Heights, anyone? I wanted to mention Nellie because she was a top British baby name in 1900, and I think she could make a comeback as she sheds her "Nellie the Elephant" image, taking her place alongside the upcoming Maisie, Evie and other nickname-names. Originally a nickname for Helen, I think Nellie is adorable all by herself, and Nell is so sleek and elegant.Wilson - I recently came across Wilson when I read about WilsonAlwynBentley, one of the first known photographers of snowflakes. Why do we not hear Wilson as a first name more? Something about it really sounds strong, like a William variant. Not sure I would use it myself, but I was struck by this.